I've been reading fantasy books almost my entire life. While I do sometimes venture into sci-fi and other less magical fiction genres, I've kept my literary life pretty much locked in on fantasy. That being said, I've always loved how much romantic relationships play a role in a fantastical setting. There can only be so much adventure without a bit of romance to ground it, after all.
Romantasy isn't exactly new, but it has exploded in popularity in recent years. Thanks to Rebecca Yarros' Empyrean series, romantasy absolutely dominated the Kindle charts as well as pretty much every bestseller list last year. If you're new to the genre and looking for some recommendations for what to read first, I've gathered together a few of my favorites, as well as top picks from my colleague (and romantasy enthusiast) Jessie Wade.
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Physical booksOn an e-readerOn your phoneListening to audiobooksFourth Wing (The Empyrean)
Jennifer L. Armentrout's Blood and Ash series has action, adventure, and all of the sexy moments you'd expect from a modern romantasy. What really sets the series apart, however, is the unique fantasy world and just how truly spicy things get after the first book. From Blood and Ash tells the story of Poppy, a girl caught between gods and mortals whose role as a Maiden leaves her forbidden from experiencing pleasure. She was born to ascend and be found worthy by the gods, but that doesn't stop her from longing for more.
The Blood and Ash series is currently made up of six books, with a seventh on the way for 2026. Armentrout has confirmed that the final book in the series will be titled The Throne of Bone and Ash.
Bonus: A Shadow in the Ember (Flesh and Fire)
The last Sarah J. Maas pick on our list is her Crescent City series. Unlike Throne of Glass and ACOTAR, House of Earth and Blood is a bit more tame (in terms of romance) and rooted in more of an urban fantasy setting. The story kicks off with Bryce Quinlan, a half-fae and half-human girl, who teams up with an angel named Hunt to track down the demon who killed her friends. The series has a nice blend of mystery, magic, and slow-burning romance all wrapped up in some epic fantasy world building.
There are currently three books in the series with a fourth planned for sometime in the future. Maas has yet to give any details about when it will be released.
Powerless
If you're looking for a YA romantasy series that doesn't get nearly as spicy as the more adult books on our list, Powerless is a great starting point. It's all about a society divided between "Elites" with powers and "Ordinaries" who are powerless. The story follows Paedyn Gray, an Ordinary who poses as an Elite psychic to avoid being banished from the kingdom of Ilya. When she unsuspectingly saves one of the kingdom's princes, she finds herself thrown into a brutal competition for Elites and falling into a forbidden romance that could end in her doom
The Powerless trilogy is now complete as of April 2025 with the release of Fearless.
Arcana Academy
Elise Kova's Arcana Academy is one of the newest books on this list, so there's currently only one book available. Kova isn't new to the romantasy scene, however, and you may know her from her Married to Magic series, or more recently, Saga of the Unfated. Arcana Academy breaks away from the usual tropes of faeries and vampires with a main character who wields magical tarot cards in a fantastical academy setting.
The second book in the Arcana Academy series, titled Prince of Swords, is currently set to be released on July 21, 2026.
Jacob Kienlen is a Senior Audience Development Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise is spread across a variety of different pop culture topics -- from TV series to indie games and books.
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